Pimp your webcam: Mobile Barcode Webcam
Japan Scientific Management launched a nice software application, which enables normal web cams to read 2D barcodes.
2D barcodes can be found everywhere in Japan. On business cards, posters, magazines, on TV, products and also t-shirts. Nearly 80% of all Japanese mobile phones have embedded 2D barcode readers.
A 2D barcode can store the link to a web address, a persons contact data and phone number or it can even automatically launch a phones mail application to send a predefined text to a set mail address. (automated newsletter sign ups for example). Instead of typing in a complicated URL on the mobile phone the user just needs to scan in a barcode and can directly access the mobile site.
What works for over 60 million mobile phone users in Japan now also works on normal PCs. The software called HOOP can scan a 2D barcode using a normal web cam. It can also automatically add 2D bar-coded RSS feeds to its integrated RSS reader.
2D barcodes –or QR codes as they are called in Japan- became an essential part of mobile communication and ease of access. It will be interesting to see how other parts of the world (especially Europe and the US) will embrace this technology
ycc2106 said,
March 18, 2006 @ 7:11 am
Thanks for the information, there isn’t much information about RQ-codes on this side of the world yet, is that why you did not use the word?
(Incase I referenced this post here: http://3spots.blogspot.com/2006/03/rq-code-what-are-these-images-we-see.html)
Manuel said,
March 30, 2006 @ 7:39 pm
Lots of business letters use this as stamps. and the “Die Bahn” use that on the online tickets. so the conductors use this for check if the ticket is valid.
and by the way, greetz from berlin!